Public speaking is a vital skill for all librarians, but outreach and other events donâ€™t always go quite as planned.Â Everyone should be prepared to improvise and maintain their composure when faced with unexpected challenges.Â Both novice and experienced librarians and library workers are invited to learn from colleagues and share their own experiences during the LLAMA/NMRT New Leaders Discussion Group on Sunday, June 30, from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. in McCormick Place, N140, during ALAâ€™s Annual Conference in Chicago.

Short presentations by Julia Frankosky, Michigan State University, and David Hurley, New Mexico State Library, will serve as discussion starters.

This presentation will discuss preparing for the inevitable, unexpected events that occur during a presentation. From technology failures to rude/unruly audience members, this presentation will show how to deal with surprises. Tips and techniques to keep your presentation on track when it seems as though the universe is trying to sabotage you will be provided.

David Hurley, â€œWinging It: the art of the surprise speaking engagementâ€

Unplanned speaking engagements â€“ from being asked to give a report at a meeting, to being asked to speak to a class about library research â€“ are all too common. Using personal experience as a framework, Iâ€™ll discuss how I handle these situations, including when (and how) to say ‘no’ to unreasonable request, as well as how to give a successful off-the-cuff talk when ‘no’ isn’t the right answer.